Where to place cameras?

The solution to this issue depends on the type of video camera used, its dimensions and the imagination of the owners. There are many places where miniature cameras can be installed. If the apartment has a fire and burglar alarms, then infrared motion sensors and smoke detectors are one of the most common places for installing video cameras. The sensors are mounted on the ceiling, and the camera will provide optimal control of everything that happens in the room. In addition, the wires coming from the video camera are laid together with the alarm wires, so it is very difficult to identify them, especially for a non-specialist. There are even special hidden cameras disguised as fire detectors. with them the task is greatly simplified, and such cameras are not subject to the prohibition of the law, since the detectors are not household items.

If the house has a stereo system, then this is also a great place to disguise a video camera. In principle, any household appliances, especially those with a large number of knobs and control buttons, are suitable for installing a covert surveillance camera. Ideally, the camera should be mounted in stationary interior items that cannot be moved.

When choosing a place to install the camera, you should consider the possibility of obstructing it with other objects, so it is better to install the camera higher. The wall clock can also disguise a wireless camera. In the process of installing video cameras, one important nuance should be borne in mind. the camera heats up during operation, therefore, when installing it, it is necessary to provide for heat removal from the case.

Covert video surveillance in an apartment: installation goals, choice of cameras and legality

Recently, the miniaturization of electronic devices has reached such a level that ultra-miniature video cameras have appeared on the market, allowing for covert video surveillance in apartments and offices. According to modern legislation, it is possible to organize covert video surveillance in an apartment or a private house, but everyone living or working should be warned about this, although it is not necessary to disclose the installation locations of surveillance cameras. In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is best to give information about hidden video surveillance against signature.

Key features of hidden cameras

A camera for covert video surveillance in an apartment is not much different from conventional video cameras in terms of its parameters. It consists of a standard set of elements:

• Lens;
• Photosensitive element. matrix;
• Video processor.

Viewing angle. Lenses of miniature video cameras can have different viewing angles, and can be both telephoto and wide-angle. Long-focus lenses for covert observation are rarely used due to their small viewing angle. Usually this parameter depends on the focal length, which for covert surveillance cameras can vary from 2.8 to 3.7 mm. This corresponds to a control zone within 60-90 °. A video camera with such characteristics, if properly installed, will allow you to control a sufficiently large room, and without optical distortion of the image.

Shooting quality. The miniature CCD sensor allows for good quality color images even in low light conditions. The video processor converts electrical potentials from the photosensitive element into a video signal. When shooting indoors with low light, modern cameras are capable of switching to black and white mode, in which the picture quality is much better than in color in low light.

Resolution and sensitivity. When choosing a video camera for covert surveillance, you should pay attention to the parameters common to all cameras. These are resolution and sensitivity. The resolution of modern cameras is measured in megapixels and can vary from 1.3 to 12 MP. For surveillance in residential premises, a resolution of 1.3-2 MP is enough, and cameras with Ultra HD resolution are still not sufficiently developed today and have a lot of pitfalls, for example, a low recording speed of 5-15 frames per second.

Ultra-high sensitivity is also not needed. For a home camera, a sensitivity of 0.1-0.3 lux is sufficient. If video surveillance is planned at night, which is necessary when there is a sick person in the apartment, then it makes sense to purchase a video camera with infrared illumination, which allows you to transmit a good quality picture at any time of the day. The infrared LED does not detect itself in any way, since the human eye does not perceive its radiation.

For what purposes are hidden cameras installed in the apartment?

There are many reasons why it makes sense to install a covert video surveillance system in an apartment. Most often, miniature video cameras are used to monitor incoming personnel. This is especially important when a nanny is invited to a small child. While the parents are at work, she must feed the child, put her to bed and play with him. Unfortunately, recently, shocking videos shot by covert surveillance cameras have appeared on the Internet and in some television programs. Babysitters there not only speak rudely and obscenely, but also beat up small children.

With the help of hidden video cameras, you can monitor any service personnel. Also, hidden video surveillance in the apartment allows you to monitor older children when they are left alone at home.

A home video surveillance system, as a rule, is organized using a GSM module or a cloud service, thanks to which you can view a picture from a video camera at any time. It so happens that an elderly or seriously ill person is at home and remote monitoring not only provides control over everything that happens in the apartment, but, if necessary, will allow you to call an ambulance or rescuers. The covert video surveillance system does not show itself in anything. It is quite difficult to detect miniature cameras, and if a wireless system is installed in an apartment or house, then the wires by which it is possible to determine the presence of video cameras are completely absent.

How is installation carried out?

Since video surveillance must be hidden, all installation work must be done very carefully. The covert surveillance system, first of all, can give out wires, so they must be completely disguised.

You can consider the installation process using the example of a three-room apartment. There is a living room, bedroom, nursery and kitchen. There is a small child in the apartment, which, while the parents are at work, is taken care of by a babysitter. All four rooms must be under video surveillance. As conceived by the owners of the apartment, video cameras are connected to a registrar equipped with a cloud-based service, so that from a mobile device it is possible, in real time, to observe the nanny and the child. In addition, the registrar records video information on a hard disk, flash card or in the cloud. The recorder can be placed in a lockable drawer of a desk or dresser.

Miniature video cameras are installed in such places to ensure control over the entire area of ​​the room. Since the walls and ceiling are excluded as installation areas, all connecting wires are lowered vertically behind the furniture and then laid under the skirting board. Now almost all apartments have plastic skirting boards with cable channels covered with a plastic strip, which can be easily removed and just as easily put in place.

The camcorder can be installed at the top of a bookcase or wardrobe, with the wires completely covered by the furniture. The kitchen wall is a good place to install a hidden video camera. Vases or decorative items are usually placed at the top, in which it is very easy to place a covert surveillance camera.

It is much easier to install covert video surveillance for an apartment if you purchase a wireless kit. In this case, cameras can be placed in the most unexpected places. Since there are no wires, there will be no main unmasking factor.

What the law says about hidden video surveillance?

It is possible to organize covert video surveillance in your apartment, but with the obligatory condition that all family members, as well as working personnel, if any, must be aware that they are being monitored, and it is not necessary to give out the location of the cameras. Otherwise, you can easily get sued. It is advisable to familiarize working personnel with a written document confirming the fact of installing cameras in an apartment against a signature.

Remember that the law also prohibits the use of cameras disguised as household items. So, recently, cases of detention of ordinary citizens who bought pens or key chains with a built-in video camera in China and tried to sell them in Russia have become more frequent. Most of them received fines, and some even received suspended sentences. Under article 138, part 1, for the sale and installation of certain prohibited cameras, you can face a criminal penalty of up to 4 years in prison. Therefore, be careful and careful, and if possible, read the above article before purchasing and installing hidden cameras.

Cameras are hidden in furniture and small items

Examine all the holes and corners in pieces of furniture. in cabinets, bedside tables, drawers. Remember the camera can be easily hidden in a bookshelf.

An important point! A video surveillance device can be located in the most unexpected place, however, it can always be found during a detailed superficial examination.

The main distinguishing feature of the camera is, of course, its lens. Look for it, including in small objects, not bypassing houseplants, lampshades, picture frames and even doorknobs.

Today, you can easily purchase a completely miniature camera that looks like an ordinary screw. Check all the small details: it can replace the eye of a soft toy.

Explore all electrical appliances in detail

A smoke detector is a very useful item that has long become even mandatory in many countries around the world. Today there are cameras widely available that are very similar to these sensors. However, we are talking only about external similarity. Look carefully for a lens or memory card slot. Remember, the sensors are missing something like this.

Electrical appliances in bedrooms or bathrooms should always be suspicious. Look for the same lenses, paying attention to any obscure holes. The presence of a charger where it should not be in principle should also be embarrassing. You should be alerted, for example, by an alarm clock that connects to the network, even if it is a super modern clock.

Indoor hidden camera can be found using smartphone

Moscow, 03/08/2021, 07:59:39 AM, edition of PRONEDRA.RU, author Svetlana Levarova.

If you suspect that you may be monitored in a hotel room or in a rented apartment, you can always find out on your own whether video surveillance is installed in the room. Simple techniques and recommendations. in the material of the information portal “Pronedra”.

First of all, check the bedroom and bathroom. cameras are often installed there. Examining the premises, show your imagination. imagine where you would put cameras if you were instructed to do so. In a word, the well-known rule will work perfectly here: “To catch a criminal, you need to think like him.”.

Pay special attention to the places from which the room is best viewed: study all the upper corners and walls, as well as objects that are as close to the beds as possible.

How to find a hidden camera indoors using your smartphone?

Turn on your mobile flashlight and look for reflections from a camcorder lens. For this, the light must be turned off, and the blinds must be closed. Walk around the whole room with a flashlight and watch closely: any incomprehensible effect should alert you. Did you notice the glint? Most likely you are being followed.

There are also dedicated mobile apps to help you find hidden cameras. AppStore offers, for example, Hidden Camera Detector, and its analog can always be downloaded from Google Play. Thanks to the iNet and Fing applications, it becomes possible to search for cameras that are connected to Wi-Fi.

Life hack: not sure if a camera is installed in a suspicious hole. just stick it with chewing gum.

Do-it-yourself installation of a hidden camera for an apartment

Features and main characteristics

The principle of operation and design of “invisible” cameras is no different from ordinary ones. The light hits the lens, is transmitted to the matrix, where it is converted into electrical impulses. The latter are registered by the processor and transformed into a video signal. The video signal is transmitted to the recording device over a wire, wirelessly or via a GSM network. Some models have their own memory card, they record on their own.

7 Best Home Security Tips For Apartments

The main difference between hidden structures is diminutiveness. The smaller the device, the easier it is to install it even in an open place, but so that the camera is not visible. At the same time, there is no need to chase the minimum size.

There are different models for covert shooting in your apartment. Main groups:

• Analog. the recorded video signal is not corrected. The quality of the shooting is average, the resolution is low. But such models are also inexpensive.
• Digital. provide a much higher quality image even in complete darkness. The price is much higher, so in practice they are rarely bought for home.

Another important factor is the signal transmission method and the ability to work with different video devices.

How to find indoor cameras when renting a house or apartment

• Radio frequency. transmit a signal over a radio channel. This method allows you to dispense with recording on the card and organize control in real time.
• Wi-Fi cameras. a signal from a device via a wireless network is transmitted to a laptop, tablet, smartphone and is recorded or broadcast to the network. Honor needs the Wi-Fi signal to weaken as it travels through walls, so before installing, you need to check how good the image quality will be when you mount the camera in the selected location. Such models are often combined with motion sensors and IR illumination.

Cameras can shoot in black and white or color. The transition is performed automatically: at night to monochrome mode, during the day. to color.

Goals and objectives for installing a hidden camera in an apartment

A video camera, like a motion sensor, is an element of a general security system. If the attacker still managed to bypass the alarm and enter the home, a hidden camera will record the intrusion. Even if the general security system is already disabled, the user still has a record of the crime. This will help you quickly find criminals.

However, you cannot use covert surveillance in your own apartment for any other purposes. Using such a device to track someone without warning is a violation of the privacy invasion law.

If such equipment is installed in the apartment where 1 person lives in order to prevent possible problems with the water supply, electricity, penetration of strangers, the use of the camera is considered permissible. But if during the visit the guests are videotaped, and they are not warned about this, the owner may be subject to claims.

If a hidden camera is used to monitor a hired nanny or maid, the latter has the right to go to court with a claim for invasion of privacy. And it doesn’t matter that the camera was able to record the manifestation of dishonesty on her part.

The owner of the apartment is obliged to warn all visitors and employees about the ongoing video surveillance. It is not necessary to indicate where the equipment is located and how the shooting is carried out.

Installation features

The user needs to understand how the camera placement is normalized. This will avoid damage to devices and friction arising from their use with the law:

• It is forbidden to use for video surveillance devices disguised as household items: pens, key chains, souvenirs. Materials filmed from such cameras are not considered in court.
• Installation of devices together with fire or infrared motion sensors is allowed. over, cameras can be disguised as these devices, since they are not household items.
• The case heats up during operation: heat dissipation must be provided.

The use of prohibited cameras entails administrative liability. fine.

Criteria for choosing a hidden camera for an apartment

The direct purpose of a mini camera is to take pictures without being noticed. Before buying a device, you need to figure out exactly how to disguise a camcorder in your room and at the same time ensure its functionality. To choose a model, you need to evaluate its characteristics:

• Dimensions. selected taking into account the place where the camera will be installed.
• Signal quality. you do not need to strive for indicators. In apartments, there is rarely strong interference, so even simple analog models are suitable for shooting.
• Angle of view. The wide-angle camera provides an overview of a small room. If we are talking about a studio apartment, it is better to install several narrowly focused.
• IR illumination. Recommended.
• Signal transmission method. wireless models are much more convenient. They are easier to install, fix in a different place. However, the cost of wired cameras is lower.

Covert video surveillance in an apartment should meet expectations. If the camera is an element of a security system, it is associated with a motion sensor and equipped with IR illumination. If the focus is on constant monitoring of the situation, the video sensor should work around the clock. In this case, preference is given to models without their own memory card and powered from the mains.

Camera placement options

How and where to install a hidden camera depends not so much on its dimensions and features of the apartment as on imagination. There are many options:

• Cornices, mezzanines, wide stucco moldings under the ceiling. Hence the widest view, and the probability of detection is minimal.
• TV. mini-camera can be installed directly into the device.
• Computer. the device is mounted in standard speakers or purchased models with a built-in camera.
• A peephole in the door is a good option for surveillance.
• Collectibles like toy cars, airplane models, porcelain figurines.
• In the chandelier. the camera is screwed into place with one of the bulbs.
• On a mirror. this requires a two-way mirror.
• Flowerpot. It is best to remove the sensor while watering. A vase with artificial flowers is safer.
• It is allowed to hide video cameras on household items with a large number of buttons and knobs. a music center, for example.

The higher the cameras are, the greater their viewing angle and the less chances of being detected. However, when choosing, you need to take into account the number of sensors. 1 widescreen is really best placed on the ceiling. Narrow-beam models are set lower so that the cameras view their sector.

Several factors affect the performance of camcorders. It is not recommended to place the devices in such places:

• near the microwave;
• next to any electrical converters. their operation affects the image quality;
• opposite windows or a stationary lamp. the image deteriorates;
• in a too dark place. with poor lighting, observation is difficult;
• next to fluorescent lamps.

Electrical devices may not affect signal quality, but the device itself is affected and malfunctions.

Covert video filming in your own apartment is allowed only if the recording will not be distributed and presented. If, during observation, the landlord discovers, for example, a manifestation of dishonesty on the part of the staff, he can use the material in a personal conversation and cite it as a reason for dismissal. But he cannot sue: the materials cannot be considered as evidence if the servants were not warned about hidden video surveillance. over, such use is punishable by a fine.